Finding the Optimum Orientation for PV Systems Matched to the Timing of the Demand Profile

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Electricity consumption in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has grown by about 7% annually in the last two decades due to population and economic growth. The consumption of the residential sector accounts for over 50% of the total energy generation largely due to the consumption of the buildings’ air conditioning. This factor contributes significantly to a situation where peak electricity demand occurs in early afternoon. Thus, this paper presents one of the possible ways of managing electricity peak demand by proposing deployment of PV panels with slope and orientation that are optimized with respect to the timing of the demand profile in order to contribute most effectively to national electricity generation capacity. As a case study, numerical results are presented for Riyadh city in KSA.